The Tribune

By RIEL MAJOR

Tribune Staff Reporter

rmajor@tribunemedia.net

DISGRUNTLED employees of the record’s section in Princess Margaret Hospital staged a sit-out yesterday because of no air-conditioning in their department.

Bahamas Public Services Union President Kimsley Ferguson said the air-conditioner in that particular block has been down since “a little before the beginning of this week”, adding that the area has no windows.

In an interview with The Tribune, Health Minister Dr Duane Sands said the matter was brought to his attention for the first time yesterday and the issue has been rectified.

Dr Sands said: “We have identified the reason for the air-conditioning problem which was several ducts being closed by an automatic sensor system. That has been rectified and I’m advised that the area is already significantly cooler.

“In terms of the other remote areas we have identified a new unit to be installed so I suspect the matter should be rectified in very short order, within the matter of 24 hours or slightly longer.”

In April, employees of the communications centre in Princess Margaret Hospital also participated in a sit-out due no air-conditioning in their department.

At the time, Mr Ferguson said: “The problem starts from the accounts door into this particular area that covers communications. (There is) no means of ventilation, even if fans are placed in this particular area it wouldn’t assist with what is going on.”

In late July, the Children’s Ward patients were temporarily relocated to the hospital’s former Intensive Care Unit.

“Minor wear and tear issues were discovered, which affected the air-conditioning function on the ward,” hospital officials said in a press release.

Earlier that month, PMH also suspended non-emergency surgeries for nearly a week while it investigated possible sabotage at the hospital’s chiller system in the Critical Care Block.